Libya boat capsizing off Tobruk kills at least 26 migrants

A migrant boat carrying about 61 people capsized off the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk. Ten survivors were rescued, and authorities have now recovered a total of 26 bodies – 15 found last week and 11 more over the subsequent days – while dozens remain missing. The recovered bodies, described by medical sources as heavily decomposed, were wrapped in white shrouds and buried within a day, with one source noting, "all the bodies are buried on the same day or the day after the recovery due to bad odours and the disappearance of the bodies' features." Rescue efforts involved the Tobruk Coast Guard and volunteers from the Libyan Red Crescent.

Amnesty International said the tragedy occurs amid an intensified crackdown on migrants in both western and eastern Libya, citing mass arrests, forced evictions and collective expulsions. The organization accused the European Union of complicity, quoting Diana Elahawy: "The EU has long bankrolled migration control in Libya… extending this cooperation to eastern‑based armed groups shows a shocking disregard for international law and human dignity."